The unintended effects of cash transfers on fertility: evidence from the Safe Motherhood Scheme in India

Arindam Nandi () and Ramanan Laxminarayan
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Arindam Nandi: The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy
Ramanan Laxminarayan: The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy

Journal of Population Economics, 2016, vol. 29, issue 2, No 5, 457-491

Abstract: Abstract India launched the Safe Motherhood Scheme (Janani Suraksha Yojana or JSY) in 2005 in response to persistently high maternal and child mortality rates. JSY provides a cash incentive to socioeconomically disadvantaged women for childbirth at health facilities. This study explores some unintended consequences of JSY. Using data from two large household surveys, we examine a policy variation that exploits the differential incentive structure under JSY across states and population subgroups. We find that JSY may have resulted in a 2.5–3.5 percentage point rise in the probability of childbirth or pregnancy over a 3-year period in states already experiencing high population growth.

Keywords: Janani Suraksha Yojana; JSY; Conditional cash transfer; Fertility; India; JEL Codes; J1; I1; O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-015-0576-6

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